They don't offer it online... needs to be a 400 level CSC (Comp Sci) course, and although it's possible to do an independent study in it, that's just not for me. The current plan/goal is to take the class in the fall at UNLV. I hope I can make myself do it.

As far as the poker, most of what I play these days is just mtt's online, anything from the 10r on stars up to $200 or $500 mtt's. I also love O8B limit cash games... been playing a lot of 30/60 on stars. For live play, I try to play the Bellagio daily tourneys once or twice a week, and I'll play the live Omaha game there afterwards or some 5/10 NL. When I first moved to Vegas though, for the first few months, it was pretty much all 2/5 NL around town with the ocassional tourney mixed in.

I really caught the tourney bug in August when I had a lot of success at the Bellagio $500 and $1k tourneys, and by late October, I was spending 95% of my table time in tourneys. This is what led me to begin 8+ tabling mtt's on all the big sites online in November... which I still spend most of my time doing today. :) I'll definitely be playing a lot more live tourneys when the circuit event comes to Caesars here in a few months, then the Bellagio and Mirage have series', and then of course the WSOP. But early in the year is a dry time for tourneys here in Vegas.

I played my first hold em game late in 2004, when my 5th and last year of college was beginning. I wasnt very good but by march of 2005, I would constantly see my buddy's away messages about running wel in a tourney or his stories of crushing $50 HU. So what did I do? Of course I deposited $50 onto pokerstars and signed up for the first $5 MTT available. It was a 8pm tourney with 1050 entrants. Almost needless to say, I played atrociously raising every ace I got beating AA with AQ and ended up chopping the tourney for $1250. I was on top of the world as Im sure most of you felt after winning your first big score. I quickly went to a 1/2 limit table and was up $200 within an hour. So I thought, this is easy!!! I can do this whenever I want and be rich!!! Well after most of that $1250 went to spring break which was a week later (I remember how great that week was cause I felt like I was spending free money the entire time), I kept playing tourneys with little success. I had lost the rest of it..WTF?? So then the cycle continued, Id continually deposit $50 though neteller and lose it soon after. When I won $80 or so in a MTT I would be ecstatic. I probably played 16-18 hours a day and not that I was a good student beforehand, but my attendence in class was getting even worse than it was before. I even had a teacher approach me about playing because I continually missed his 8am class. Halfway through the semester I was failing and to be honest, it wasnt on the top of my mind like it should. Ive always passed classes with relative ease but since I wasnt going to class ever, I even missed presentations and such. Luckily this teacher has a merciful heart and told me to start coming to class and do ok on the final and I would pass. This still didnt really make me work any harder because I was doing two foci within management and this was a class to just fullfil one of them. So basically I told myself if I passed 2 of my 3 important classes ,I would still graduate.

Poker is addicting.....I know this because of stuff I put off to play when I couldve waited a day. Once I had a 20 page business plan to do for a class but didnt even start it til 4am on the day it was due (It was due at 330pm). I ended up doing the biz plan on a pokeroom cause thats all I could think about!

I have gotten a little better about things, I try to not play tourneys that end so late that I am dead in the morning if I finish high (excluding last night lol) and I try to keep my br managed a little better. Id be freaking rich by now if it wasnt for spending $480 in 11r and $200 in 3r on those nights I was on tilt and going crazy. I find if I manage my BR better, I can avoid tilt and the feeling that I need to quickly make up what I have lost recently by moving way out of my BR.

I understand hwat people are saying about playing best when they are consumed by the game but it isnt healthy if you have no other life. You need to go get drunk with friends-you need a work play balance. And if you play 18 hours a day, it is more work than play. Sometimes, I just get relief by going to the play money tables and going all in eveyr hand...

GBoro, I totally understand where you are coming from as I had the same class senior year and had the same exact thoughts everytime I was at school. Bottom line, get your degree if you are that close to it. College isnt easy but it isnt exactly the most difficult thing in the world. Just suck it up for the hour youre in there or get notes from someone else. And its not like you actually have to pay attn most of the time to pass anyways. I totally understand your guilt issue, I think you just need to somtimes tell youself-OK I am going to get drunk as hell tonight! I know some people might consider this unhealthy but I find that going to a party that is fun often takes my mind off poker for the night and I come back the next day refreshed and feeling good. If youre at parties you are probably spending time with friends and building bonds which will make you feel better about yourself. If its not partying, do something else with pals. I just find that doing "active" stuff makes me feel much better than something like going to a movie because its sedentary and not much different than poker other than what I am looking at. Play more sports if you can, instruments, etc

GOOD LUCK

100% of the time I'm playing poker online, I'm worrying about my wife coming in and saying are you playing again.

im definitely consumed by the game, but i've also got my g/f consumed w/ it.. so it all works out. The only real problem i have is getting caught on p5's by my boss. he sort of frowns on that. He's told me twice if he catches me again on that site , id be fired....guess you could say i called his bluff. Hopefully if i really would get fired i could just collect unemployment through p5 ,,,since they r the reason i would be fired..lol

I remember growing up...wanting to be the next Tom Watson. I loved golf as a kid and got quite good at it.

My parents never stood in my way, but made sure that school always came first. You have the rest of your life to choose your career, but the education?

Many think that quitting school because of a little online poker success is the way to go. Many of those that make that decision need to think harder. Finish your BA or whatever you are studying. Then hit the tables. That degree is the key to you ever getting a job in the real world if poker doesn't work out. No one hires in the white collar world hires a non-college grad. That simple.

i am a senior this year. 3 classes.. two of which i play poker during and the other is just time i reflect on what hands and my br situation. it is sick cuase i have two huge tests tom and im playing damn tornaments. 2 tests tom, no books , no notes, no worries.. i feel ya gb

bojazi

IM AT WORK AND THATS ALL I DO TOO, LOL REFRESH...REFRESH....REFRESH.....

I guess if you want to be good at anything, trying to ignore it will not get the job done. There is an old saying "the harder i work, the luckier I get" and I think that applies to anything you want to excel in-so being consumed with the game just may be a desire to to excel at the game!

Pearl-I feel sorry for you and I don't!

First, it is always difficult to go 4 years to school and be 4 credits away from graduating. Who wants to say I fell 4 credits shy of gradiating. Nevertheless, to take the 4 credits will get in the way of your playing schedule which in your early 20's is netting you a minimum of 400K to 500k per year.

I guess what I'm saying is that although it is not an easy fix, it is a nice problem to have!

Good luck in whatever you decide ad congrats on your success at the tables!